You're Welcome
by Athena356
Summary: **sighs** it's all over, folks. Please r/r my last chapter in this Dabby fic I've been working on for a long time. thanks!
1. You're Welcome

AN: they're not mine, but you knew that.  
  
  
Abby groggily punched the snooze button on her alarm clock. It was just too early to get up. However, reguardless of the lack of alarm, she woke up a moment later, knowing that if she arrived late, Weaver would throw a fit. Something it was also too early to deal with. She rolled out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom, turning on the hot water.   
  
**********************  
  
Abby stepped onto the El, looking for a seat. No luck. She got to stand for the 20 minute ride to County General. Fun fun and more fun. This was turning out to be a *great* day so far.  
  
********************  
  
Finally she arrived at the El stop right outside of the hospital. Abby made her way quickly to the steps, but she stopped midway down the platform when she crashed into a man with a motorcycle helmet, boots, leather jacket and chain wallet.   
  
"Sorry." She moved to the left to walk around him, and he moved to block her path. She tried moving to the right and he again blocked her path. "Excuse me, I have to get by." The platform was quickly clearing of passengers. Abby's pulse quickened as she tried to reason out what to do. "Look, I have to go to work, and if my boss gets mad... well, let's just say I'm sending her after you because I'd like to live. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go!"   
  
"Ohh, I like that attitude!"  
  
"You heard the woman, she needs to get by!" A voice that was unmistakably Malucci's came from behind Abby. "hey sweetie, you OK?" Malucci kissed Abby's cheek and put an arm around her, whispering to her to play along.   
  
"I'll be fine, if we can get to work." She and Dave walked away from the man and down towards the ER.  
  
"You're welcome."   
  
"Why'd you have to be my boyfriend? Couldn't you have been my brother?"  
  
"You're welcome." He repeated, smiling the classic Dave Malucci smile. They walked to the ambulance bay together, then Abby reached down and picked up a handful of snow from a large mound and chucked it at Dave's head.   
  
"Oh now you're dead, Lockhart!" Dave playfully wrestled her to the ground in the snowdrift, packing the back of her shirt with snow.  
  
"Damn that's cold! OK, OK, you win! I give up!" Abby yelled, and Dave helped her up. She threw one last snowball and ran, being chased by Dave. He caught up with her at the door. She smiled at him and said "thanks." before ducking inside to avoid the snowball Dave threw, which hit the door and bounced back the short distance into his face.   
  
"damn, that is cold." He said, wiping off his face and heading inside.


	2. *Score*

"Dave, get off your butt and do some work! We're not paying you to mope around!"  
  
"Sorry Cheif." Dave got up from the lounge couch and headed out to the board to pick up some patients. "I'll take the rule out MI in 3 and the fractured clavicle in 1," he announced to no one in particular, writing his name on the board. He walked down towards the exam rooms, carefully chosen because of the fact that Abby was in exam 2. When he had finished writing painkiller scrips and setting the fractured clavicle, he passed by exam 2 on his way to see his other patient. He could see Abby inside, wearing a scrub top because his little snow attack had soaked her shirt. Well, she had started it...Abby came out of the room, finished with her patient for the moment. "Abby, can you come help with the rule out MI in 3?"   
  
"Sure, let me just dump this chart at the desk. Patient in 2's been discharged."   
  
"Great." He stared after her, smiling. Dave pushed open the door to exam 3 and greeted Mr. Hill cheerfully. His day seemed a lot better after seeing Abby again. She entered the doors and he grinned. "Let's get some cardiac enzymes and an EKG. We'll see in a few minutes, Mr. Hill."  
  
"Thank you, Doctor...Maluc..Mal..."  
  
"Call me Dr. Dave!" he replied, grinning. Not many people could pronounce his last name, which was only one of the reasons he went by Dr. Dave in the ER.   
  
"We've got to wait for the test results now, Mr. Hill. Malucci, I'm gonna run these to the lab."  
  
"Thanks Abby!" She sighed and shook her head as she left the room. "We'll be back soon to tell you more. Lie back and get comfortable. You need some rest." Dave grinned again and left the room. He spotted Abby walking out of the lab. "Abby! Abby!"  
  
"Yeah Malucci?"  
  
"Look, I'm sorry about the snowball fight. But I was wondering if you'd like to grab some lunch. We can take a break, there aren't many patients today. Slow day."  
  
"I dunno, Dave, I have some stuff to do..."  
  
"Hey, my treat!"  
  
Abby could see Dave wasn't going to leave her alone until she agreed to go to lunch with him. Cringing on the inside, she answered, "Fine Dave, a quick bite. We shouldn't stay out long, I mean, we *were* late today."  
  
"Hey, blame that biker, not me!"  
  
"I was just saying...geez! Well, if we're going we'd better go now, there are no patients on the board. Let's tell Mark so he'll know to page us if anything comes in."  
  
"Sure thing, Abby." Dave walked over to Mark and quickly told him that he and Abby were going to lunch.   
  
"Alright Malucci, we'll page you if we need you."  
  
"Thanks Dr. Greene.' *_score!_* Malucci thought to himself. Lunch with Abby, and he didn't even have to beg. This was shaping up to be a good day after all.


	3. Maybe Sometime.....

AN: ok, ok, it's been a while...so sue me. Might be a little rushed, but more will come sooner if this chap is rushed:) so sorry:)~~thena  
  
  
Abby and Dave sat across from each other in one of the booths at Doc Magoos. Surprisingly, Abby found herself laughing at Dave's comments, which she usually dismissed as immature and stupid. He was being pretty nice to her, and he seemed to be having fun too. They had finished their lunches and were sipping steamy mugs of coffe that was little more than water poured over old coffee grounds. It was the weakest coffee ever, but after enough cups of the vile brew, Abby and Dave got their caffine fix for the moment.   
  
"So, Abby, I was wondering..I had fun, so far, and.." Dave was interrupted by the sound of his pager going off. Abby's began to beep loudly a second later. Sighing, they left their money on the table, Dave pointedly handing Abby's back to her and placing down an extra few bucks. "Hey, didn't I say it was my treat? Anyway, no time to argue, let's get to that trauma!"  
  
Laughing, but surprised at the kind gesture, Abby walked across the street with Dave and entered Cook County General. "What've we got?" She asked, trying not to show everyone the good time she had just had with Dave.   
  
"34 year old man, motercycle vs. guardrail. The guardrail won. Started a line, gave 3 of morphine, he's fading in and out, complained of lower leg pains on the left side when he was alert. Possible tib-fib fracture. BP's 120/84, heart rate 103 and climbing."  
  
"Thanks. Alright, trauma 1, Malucci, you're with me!" He grinned at hearing that sentence, hoping it would come to mean much more than it already did.   
  
The man's face was hauntingly familiar to Abby, and she couldn't place it until Dave said, "Isn't this that biker jerk from this morning?"   
  
"Ick, so it is. Well, anyway, get a blood gas, including a blood alcohol, and get a cbc, chem 7, coag panel, white count.." Abby trailed off as the biker's eyes flew open.   
  
"Hey, it's you. You didn't tell me you worked here...I woulda come in earlier," he slurred, the smell of alcohol pouring from his mouth.   
  
"Tox screen, and 10 of Halidol..I don't want this guy waking up."  
  
"You gotta help me, sweetie. My leg..it friggin kills!"  
  
Shuddering at being called 'sweetie' by the drunken biker, she watched satisfied as Dave injected the halidol. "That had better knock him out for a LONG time," Dave remarked, "cuz he does NOT want to deal with me when he wakes up."  
  
"Alright, Dave, just give him another 2 of morphine. And let's check out his leg, it seems to be the only thing bothering the lucky jerk."   
  
Dave and Abby cut off the biker's jeans and stuffed them into a bag under the gurney. "BP falling, 110/70. Heart rate up to 110."   
  
"give him 3 of adenosine."  
  
"It's not working. Leg is swollen around the knee. Possible clot in the vein, swelling is spreading down the leg." Dave announced. Abby and Dave knew that was the problem. "5 of heparin, start a drip. We've got to thin the clot." They waited, but the heparin wasn't working. They tried a to give him a little more, until he was at the limit.   
  
"That's it, we can't give him any more. Leg still swelling. We've got to take this clot out ourselves. They prepared to open the guy's leg up. "I'm in. Suction."   
  
"Damn, what I wouldn't give to cut this @$$hole's nerve, maybe accidentaly let him bleed out, loose just a LITTLE too much blood. It'd serve him right. You know how much I'd like to miss just one little thing, stitch up his leg with just a few less stitches than it needs?" Dave asked, holding the scalpel over the biker's leg.   
  
"Dave, it's our job to treat him. Not to judge him. When this guy...however much of an @$$ he was this morning...when he comes in here, he's just another patient. And if anyone should be mad, it should be me. So just treat him. Besides, you wouldn't cut the nerve unless you were cutting half an inch higher. And no, that's not an invitation to try it." Dave stared at Abby, placing the scalpel back on the tray. "We're done here, Dave. You want to close, or do I need to."   
  
"I'll be a good boy, I promise."  
  
"Whatever you say, Dave. I think I'll stick around, just in case." She laughed, but she still stood over him while he closed up the biker's leg. In any other case, he would have been hurt by someone else's need to supervise him. Although Abby probably shouldn't have been in charge of that particular trauma, she knew exactly what to do. She was in med school, but she already had been once. Dave knew she could run a trauma as well as he could, and she obviously didn't let her anger affect her work the way he sometimes did. Besides, he liked Abby standing over him. She was standing awfully close to him, closer than she needed to be. But that was only because he might get mad at any moment and mess up. Or at least, that's what Abby told herself.   
  
Dave finished with no problem and they took off their gloves and gowns. They checked the board, which had filled with a few unclaimed patients, so they went their separate ways.   
  
She was so calm. How could that not have infuriated her? The guy was an @$$. And he had been trying to hit on her up until they knocked him out. Abby's words were ringing in his ears. Just a patient. She was right, of course. And normally it killed Dave when someone else was right. Or maybe it was just cuz that made him wrong. But either way, Abby being right made him...even a little proud that she was so great. Proud that she took time to teach him all that she knew. He felt like he was worth something to her. It wasn't much of a logical thought, but it made him feel better. And besides, Abby had been right about a lot of things. She was the one who should have been mad. Not Dave. She was the one being hit on. Dave was just the goof who wanted to be her night in shining armor who ended up with a faceful of snow. But he also ended up with a date. He wondered if maybe the knight in shining armor bit had worked. Maybe she really did like him. But he also wondered why he cared. Dave Malucci didn't like girls that much. He liked dating, but he sure wasn't one to get a crush on someone. Especially someone like Abby, a strong woman, intelligent. He'd admit that he usually went for the bimbos. But there was something about her...and now he might have a chance. Whistling happily, he strolled into exam 4, holding the patient's chart. He was a million miles away from County, off in his own world.   
  
Dave. He never seemed like such a great guy. He seemed like a jerk. A stupid, immature jerk. But still...Abby had had so much fun with him. And that biker...Abby had tried not to care, but she saw Dave's anger. It hadn't affected him, he hadn't really been involved in the whole biker situation. But he was angry because the stupid biker had tried to get Abby. Had bothered her. And that was enough to make Dave want to 'slip'. On one hand, it was odd how short Dave's temper was. He would actually want to hurt the guy for a little flirting. But on the other hand, he did it for her. He rescued her once, then he was willing to rescue her again. She saw something in him at Doc Magoos..something she never expected to see in Dave Malucci. He was a nice guy. And she supposed she even liked him a little. And if he asked her out again..well, she wouldn't say no. She smiled, thinking of the jokes he'd been telling during lunch. He wasn't a bad guy, not in the least bit. A little...excited...he let his emotions show too much sometimes. But he could take a lesson in impartial care of patients without storming away from Abby or getting pissed that she was instructing him. That either showed he was changing, or just willing to listn to her. Either way, it was a good sign.


	4. 'The Ladies' Man'

Dave strolled into the lounge, whistling happily. He stopped, his breath running out quickly when he saw Abby sipping coffee from a gray mug. She smiled at him and he could feel his own grin forming. "Hey Abby."  
  
"Hi Dave."   
  
"So, um, when do you get off?"  
  
"Actually, about 20 minutes. You?"  
  
"I've got at least another hour to go."  
  
"Makes sense. I covered the last hour of Haleh's shift today. Her son had some pee-wee basketball thing..."  
  
"Oh. Abby, I was wondering...I had a lot of fun with you today at Doc's, and...would you like to go out again sometime?" Was he actually nervous about asking Abby out? No way. Dave never got nervous. He was just...Dave NEVER got nervous.   
  
"Sure. When do you want to go?" Dave felt his heartbeat slowing back to its normal rate and his cheeks loosing their bright crimson color.  
  
"Are you working tomorrow?"  
  
"Not really. I'm covering in the late morning so I can come in late the next day. Sleeping late is always fun."   
  
"Yeah..." _ especially if you happen to be up all night with.._ Dave stopped himself from thinking like that...he never bothered to stop himself. There was something different about Abby. "Geez Abby, you really know how to fix your schedule. Do you EVER work a full shift?"  
  
"Of course! Sometimes...." They both laughed and Dave felt himself grinning again. Abby was amazed at how well they were getting along.   
  
"So, um...you think we could...go out?"  
  
"Should I feel special because I'm making 'the ladies' man' nervous?"   
  
"Who said I was ner...yeah. Yeah Lockhart, you should feel special." _ But not because you make me nervous...there are way too many other reasons_ he added silently. He somehow knew Abby wouldn't take his nerves as a sign of weakness, as so many of the bimbos would have.   
  
"So you admit it! HAH!" She placed her empty mug in the sink forcefully, almost breaking it against the bottom of the sink.   
  
"Oh stop gloating, Lockhart. Actually..." He ran his fingers through her dark hair, stepping closer to her. "You're pretty cute when you gloat."  
  
"Dave...we're in the lounge."   
  
He nodded. "I know."  
  
"And someone could come in."   
  
"Is that your only objection?"  
  
"I think so, yeah."   
  
He flashed her his famous grin and leaned even closer, feeling her tense at his touch on her back. He rubbed her back comfortingly as he leaned in and kissed her cheek softly. She looked at him, amazed. "What Abby? We are in the lounge."   
  
She had always thought of Dave as someone with no respect for women, rules, or authority. He was actually turning out to be quite a sweet guy.  
  
"So, what do you want to do tomorrow?" He asked, loosening up a little when he realized how well this was going.   
  
"Well Dave, I don't know if you're interested, but I have evening tickets to a tour company of Rent that's in town for tomorrow night."  
  
"Rent? Never heard of it."  
  
"It's a show, on Broadway in New York right now, and...You can borrow the soundtrack tonight if you want, it's great! It's a rock musical. I have 2 tickets, good seats too. Want to come?"  
  
"Sure. I'd love to. But I don't need to borrow the CD. I trust your taste."  
  
"Great! Hope you like it!"  
  
"So, is your shift over now?"   
  
"Yeah. How about I call you with the details tonight?"  
  
"Great, talk to you then."  
  
"I can't wait." Abby leaned close to him and kissed him, grinning as she turned to leave, Dave speechlessly gaping after her. Mark threw open the other door to the lounge and saw Dave staring after Abby's retreating form.   
  
"Malucci, come on, you've got patients!...that Abby?"  
  
"Yeah."   
  
Mark turned back to Dave. "Nice lipstick. I think it looks better on her." Dave sheepishly wiped his lips and walked out behind Mark, off to save the world...or just suture. Either way.


	5. A Rose With No Thorns

AN:this is gonna be a short one...enjoy it!~~thena  
  
  
Dave shifted his feet nervously outside Abby's door. He was officially about-to-puke nervous now. She opened the door and saw him in his khakis and t-shirt, holding a single red rose. He handed it to her and smiled. "Hey Abby." was all he could manage to say to her.   
  
She pushed her short brown hair out of her eyes and smiled at him. "Thanks Dave! I'll go put this in some water. Come sit down, I'll be ready in a second."  
  
She walked to the kitchen and filled her favorite glass vase with water, wiping her sweaty palms on her skirt so she wouldn't drop it. Only when she went to place the flower in the vase did she notice that the many tiny thorns along the stem had been removed. From the stubby remains and uneven cuts, it looked as if Dave had done it himself. She sighed and ran her fingers over the bumpy stem.   
  
Dave sat on the couch, leaning forward. He knew he would never be able to get comfortable, so he didn't try. He was too anxious. He looked around the room at the furniture and odds and ends. All well arranged and nicely matching. He saw a photo of her brother, Eric, standing with her at what seemed to be his high school graduation. He was wearing a cap and gown and Abby was grinning at him. She looked proud. But she looked proud the way moms usually look standing with their kids at graduation. Dave's thoughts were interrupted when Abby appeared from the kitchen. Her black skirt moved slowly with her legs, and Dave couldn't help but watch it. His eyes travelled to her smile and he smiled back. She placed the vase on a small table by the doorway and looked up.   
  
"Ready to get going Dave?"  
  
"Abby, I picked you up. Wouldn't I have to be ready to go?"  
  
"Stop being such a smart@ss."  
  
"You love it when I'm a smart@ss." he replied, grinning.   
  
"Well, you're cute when you're a smart@ss."  
  
"Face it, Abbers, I'm just cute all the time!"  
  
"No Dave, you're just a smart@ss all the time."  
  
"Same thing." Dave said, mock defensively.  
  
"You wish! Come on, we've got reservations, and you being a smart@ss...however cute you may be...is only going to make us late!" She smiled and put her arm around him, taking it away just long enough to lock her door before they exited the apartment and got onto the elevator. They left the building and Abby turned to Dave in the warm summer night.   
  
"I saw what you did to that flower, Dave."  
  
"You mean the thorns?"  
  
"Yeah. That was sweet Dave. Thanks."   
  
"It was nothing." he replied, clumsily freeing himself from her grasp and walking a few feet ahead of her. She quickened her pace slightly to catch up with him.   
  
"Yeah, but it was sweet." She put a hand on his arm, and this time he let her, knowing she wouldn't leave him alone about the flower. They arrived at the restaurant, which was only a few blocks from Abby's apartment. Dave reached out to open the door for her. She noticed a small band-aid on his left index finger. "Cut yourself?"  
  
"Abby, it was no big deal. I just didn't want you to get your hands all pricked up."  
  
"Admit it, Dave. It was a sweet thing to do. Don't be so...embarassed about it. Take the compliment so I don't have to bug you all night!"  
  
"I give up, Abbers. You're too stubborn for me." His face was bright red with embarassment. He didn't like Abby making such a big deal of it, he had just taken the thorns off of a rose. But he saw that she was blushing too, and he kissed her cheek. "Now you're making us late. Let's go eat."


	6. Dysfunctional At Best

AN: wow, do you all even remember this story? I admit I had to go reread it. Sorry all, I know I've been slow to update. But look how many fics I have to deal with! 30! Hehe, hope you enjoy!~~~Thena  
  
  
Dave and Abby exited the theater, hand in hand. "That was pretty cool, Abby. Thanks for taking me."  
  
"Dave, I wasn't doing you a favor. Geesh." She grinned at him anyway and held his hand a little tighter.  
  
"You know what I mean. I had fun with you tonight."  
  
"Me too. What did you think of it...besides that it was cool."  
  
"The music was great, a little depressing though."  
  
"Yeah, but it has a happy ending." She smiled contently until he stopped and turned to her.  
  
"What? You call that happy, Abby?"  
  
"Dave, she woke up!"  
  
"Abby, they're dying. I mean, you're a nurse, a med student...a super-nurse. You know you can't beat AIDS."  
  
"Fine, squash my happy ending." She jokingly put her hands on her hips, then took them away to hold his hand again.  
  
"Sorry, force of habit." He mumbled. At her questioning look, he quickly changed the subject. "Want some ice cream, coffee, dessert? I know a good cafe near here..."  
  
"Sure Dave. Lead the way!" She sensed his obvious discomfort and followed him around the corner and three blocks to the cozy outdoor cafe. They sat together and ordered coffees and ice cream. Despite the cold weather they'd been having lately, the night was comparably warm. And a little warmth in the early spring called for a celebration with ice cream. At least in Chicago it did.   
  
They scanned the neighboring tables quickly. There were a few other couples there, many around their ages, one older, as well as a large group of teenagers laughing in a corner. But they were both immediately drawn to the happy family sitting to their left. They had an infant who was asleep in a carrier, a girl who looked around 5, and a boy who might have been anywhere between 7 and 10. It was hard to tell. The mother and father were sitting on one side of the table with the infant's carrier resting on an empty chair, and the other kids were each tackling mounds of ice cream too big for them to even finish one if they shared it. Abby sighed and turned away from them, looking towards Dave, who had sat next to her instead of across the table.   
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing, it's just...sorta hurts to look at them. I don't want to get into it, but..."  
  
"We don't exactly have model families, do we." Dave smiled, but as the memories came flooding back, his grin faded quickly.  
  
"I know *I* don't. What about you?"  
  
"Not a happy family, no. Your mom, right?"  
  
"That was most of it...the cause of it. My dad leaving didn't help things, nor did my having to take care of Eric and Mom. But...we just weren't happy. We didn't have 2.5 kids and a dog, living in the suburbs with a mom and dad. We were..dysfunctional at best. So, no perfect family with you? What was it?"  
  
"My dad, but I...don't talk about it a lot." He looked down at his hands, which he had folded nervously on his lap.  
  
"I noticed. I take it you don't care to? I mean, you never answered my question. At lunch. About the abuse."  
  
"I kinda hoped you wouldn't notice." He had brushed aside all questions about his past during their shortened lunch. Before that stupid biker...He sighed and looked at her.  
  
Abby placed an arm on Dave's shoulder. "But I did, didn't I? Come on, you know all about Maggie...I won't tell."  
  
"I..." Dave stopped speaking when the waitress arrived with the coffee and ice cream, and refused to speak until she left. He looked at Abby for a moment before deciding to continue. He saw a look on her face of understanding, the look that only some kind of abuse could cause. Abuse made kids grow up too fast. In Abby's case, it was neglect. In Dave's...it was much different. "My dad hit me a little, but that wasn't so bad, really. It was just a smack across the face for talking back, or a spanking for a bad grade school report card. Nothing major. Not like what everyone must think."  
  
"Dave, no one knows what to think. You never say anything. But I won't tell them if you want to keep it private."  
  
"I'd rather you didn't tell. But anyway...my dad yelled at me. He insulted me, called me worthless and all that. He drank a little, but not all the time, there were good weeks and bad. On the good, he was the best dad anyone could ask for. But those were few and far between. My mom was scared, of course. He never hit her, but he was rude when he drank, he would scream and curse...in a way, it was worse than the hitting. He only beat me up once. And I know everyone says once is one time too many and all those crap mottoes. But I just...I talked back, I started it. And that doesn't mean he was right, but I knew better. I worried after that about Mom, but he never hit her. Ever. And I didn't tell my mom about the real beating, I lied to her like I lied to the doctors. I don't know why I protected the SOB, but I did. And now...I guess I'm fine. I just hate abuse, and I think of all the kids who get hit like I did that once...all the time. Just makes me mad is all." He leaned back in his chair a little, sighing with relief that he had finally said something to someone. He hadn't meant for it all to come out, but once he started talking, he couldn't stop himself. He looked at Abby, wondering what was going through her mind. She only stared back at him, wondering what had made him tell her everything.  
  
"Those kids should be in bed anyway, it's late." She shifted nervously.  
  
"What the...oh, them. Yeah. Sure." He looked away and moved out from under her arm.   
  
"Dave, I'm sorry, I just...I don't know what to say to you. I don't discuss my emotions, remember? I'm not exactly miss communication over here. It's why Luka and I broke up. I just...I'm sorry."  
  
"Yeah, yeah...sure. I just...nevermind."  
  
"Dave..."  
  
"Forget it, Abby. I shouldn't have...forget it."  
  
"Dave, I'm sorry! I just can't...I can't believe this is happening to me again. First Luka, now you...this is too damn much."  
  
"What are you talking about, Abby?"  
  
"I never should have tried this. I was stupid to think that I could act like a normal girlfriend. I just thought maybe it would be different with you."  
  
Dave stared at her as she got up and placed her napkin on the table. He had been upset, yes, but he still wanted her. He had wanted her for a while, but it was different now. Couldn't she see that he was in love with her? If she walked out...Dave could never let himself fall in love again. It hurt too much. *Well Davey, I was right. All love ends in pain.* His father's voice echoed inside his head and he tried desperately to fight it, knowing that if he thought like his father...he would never get her back.   
  
"Abby. Don't go."  
  
"I think I have to. I can't fool myself anymore, and I can't try to fool you. I'm no good at this stuff."  
  
"That's what I thought too, but just look! I mean..."  
  
"I have to, Dave. I'm sorry. I...goodbye, Dave. I love you." She walked away, knowing she shouldn't have added that, knowing she had hurt him more than she could imagine. She felt trapped, scared, the way love and emotions had a way of making her feel. It was all Maggie's fault, her dad's fault. It was her fault for not getting help, but asking for help would have meant talking. And she couldn't do that. The night had seemed warm, but it was getting colder, and she wasn't dressed for the cold. She wrapped her arms around her body as she walked to her apartment, dreading the feeling she knew would come when she opened the door and saw the empty apartment.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Abby sat on the couch, too exhausted to move but too anxious to sleep. She'd just thrown away the best thing she had going for her in a long time. And she had no idea exactly why she felt like she had to.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Dave sat at the little table, unable to move or speak. The family had left, the kids nodding off as they sleepily piled into a minivan, despite the amount of sugar they had just consumed. The waitress had asked him repeatedly if he wanted anything else, and had called over the manager when he didn't speak. When asked if he was ok, he nodded and pointed to his coffee cup, which they quickly refilled and left him alone to drink. The manager came over and told him they were closing, and that he'd have to leave. He nodded and placed a twenty on the table, ignoring the waitress' remarks that the bill was only $8.40. He was too numb to care as he walked in the suddenly freezing night air to his apartment.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Abby's eyes fell on the yellow rose in her favorite glass vase. She ran her fingers over the stem and tears came to her eyes. *What did I do?* She shook her head and hesitantly picked up the phone, dialing the unfamiliar number. He wasn't home, which led her to wonder where he'd gone. Her worries were cut short by the loud beep of his answering machine.  
  
"Dave, it's Abby. We need to talk..."  
  
~~~~~<~~~~~~~<~~~~~@  
  
Thanks to The She Devil, for R/R and the rose, of course, Ash for R/R and helping, Mandi of course, Liz(luka lover) for R/R, and everyone else who reviewed, they were just the most frequent. My friends, this has been a fun fic to write, and I hope it's been fun to read, please review this last chapter. Thanks for taking the time to R/R!~~~Athena


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